Schools by area › Torbay › Paignton Academy
Paignton Academy
Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–16 · Academy
Waterleat Road, Paignton TQ3 3WA · paigntonacademy.org · 01803 403005
Overview
- Ofsted
- No overall grade
- 2019 framework · inspected Dec 2024
- GCSEs, 2024/25
- 36.9
- average Attainment 8 score. Torbay 47.4, England 46
- Demand for places
- 0.9
- first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
- Pupils
- 1,568
- 99% of 1,590 places
- Local authority
- Torbay
- Sixth form
- No
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 34.1%
- First language not English
- 6.5%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Year 7 in September 2026, 265 families put the school first and 286 places were offered; 98% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Year 7 | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 286 | 265 | 0.9 | 98% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 327 | 273 | 0.8 | 99% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 331 | 278 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 341 | 290 | 0.9 | 97% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 289 | 253 | 0.9 | 99% |
Results
In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 36.9, and 24.6% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Torbay it was 47.4, and across England 46.
In 2016/17 the average A level result was grade D (21.1 points per entry).
GCSE results
Attainment 8
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| ▼36.9 | 46.0 | ||
| ▼24.6% | 45.4% | ||
| ▼41.3% | 64.8% | ||
| ▼8.3% | 40.5% | ||
| ▼2.99 | 4.09 |
Where Year 11 leavers went
| Left in 2023/24 | Since 2021/22 | |
|---|---|---|
| School sixth form | 4.9 | −0.1 |
| Further education | 79.1 | −1.7 |
| Other education | 0.9 | +0.1 |
| Apprenticeship | 4.9 | +1.1 |
| Employment | 2.2 | −1.1 |
| Not in a lasting destination | 5.3 | +1.5 |
| Activity not captured | 2.7 | +0.2 |
A levels and other 16 to 18 results
| 2017/18 | Students | Average grade | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applied general | 8 | Merit (23.8) | Average -0.36 |
| Tech level | 8 | Dist (35) | — |
| Earlier years: Applied general | Students | Average grade | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 28 | — | +0.55 |
| 2015/16 | 40 | — | +0.45 |
Where sixth-form leavers went
| Left in 2018/19 | Since 2016/17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Apprenticeship | 13 | +2 |
| Employment | 63 | +22 |
| Not in a lasting destination | 25 | +5 |
Ofsted
Ofsted inspected Paignton Academy on 3 December 2024 under its 2019 framework. Inspections from September 2024 give no overall grade.
- Overall
- No overall grade
- Inspected
- 3 Dec 2024
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Requires improvement |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Requires improvement |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Requires improvement |
Previously: Requires improvement, graded inspection, Jul 2022
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
Jul 2022Requires improvement
Quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
Nov 2016Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Leadership and management Good 16 to 19 study programmes Good Safeguarding Effective Jun 2014Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good
What parents said
62% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (112 replies, to 1 September 2025).
- Recommend
- 62%
- Replies
- 112
- 7% · 1 Sept 2025
based on the 81% who raised concerns
based on the 51% who had a child bullied
based on 35 parents (31%) with SEND